Tuesday, April 9, 2013

To My Fallen Comrade

Hearing
the tragic news about the death of Matthew Warren, Rick Warren’s son, stirred
up deep feelings in me. I realized that we had much in common – so much so that
but for God’s mercy his story could have been mine. We were fairly close in
age, both Christians raised in Christian homes with parents who do some kind of
ministry (my father has even worked with Rick Warren on a project), and we both
struggled with mental illness for years. But I pulled out of it (more or less),
while Matthew never did. This is a terrible time for the Warren family, and
although I know nothing I say can heal this grief, I am offering my prayers to
the One who can. I dedicate this poem to Matthew Warren and hope it will bring
some kind of catharsis and/or comfort to those who are grieving.

Paul: Yes, I understand because I've been there, and I know many others do as well, even if they don't say it. Please know that there is love and comfort out there, even if it doesn't come right away. Whatever you do, don't give up hope.

About Me

I'm a Ph.D student at the University of Notre Dame studying Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity. I also have a BA from Brandeis University and an MTS from Notre Dame. After college, I lived in Taiwan and edited an English-teaching magazine. I love traveling and learning languages. I'm also fascinated with philosophy, which was one of my majors in college, and I write poetry, some of which I post on this blog. Most importantly, I am a sincere Christian. I believe that Jesus is God and trust Him to forgive my sins and enable me to live the life I was made to live.